The BBC have reported on a case against a web paedophile today. Lee Costi was sentenced to nine years for a series of sexual grooming and pornography offences, the first to have been prosecuted as a result of an online reporting system.

Costi was caught out by the Virtual Global Taskforce when a young girl in Nottingham alerted them to his actions. Police believe that she was not the only victim of Costi’s awful behaviour and urge any other victims to come forward.

This is a great example of how children can take action against this appaling behaviour and make a stand against abusers of the Internet.

However, this in isolation is not enough. Offering children a way of reporting incidents online empowers them to put a stop to this behaviour but does not eliminate the problem. It is vital that students receive training on how to use the Internet effectievly e.g. not to post personal information or pictures. It also highlights the need for schools and parents to ensure that a computer being used by a child has an appropriate filtering or blocking software installed to minimise the chances of the child viewing inappropriate contact.

Jim Gamble, head of the Virtual Global Taskforce, added: “Child sex abuse is one of the worst crimes imaginable and while the internet is a very vibrant environment for children and young people, it is also a place where people have to be careful.

“If in any doubt, members of the public can report inappropriate behaviour by clicking on our website and then rely on the police to take matters further.”